Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder that results in severe weight loss. It almost always begins with a plan to follow strict dietary guidelines to lose weight.

Limiting foods to an extreme leads to malnutrition and unhealthy weight loss. As malnutrition sets in, the brain and metabolism change which in turn limits the appetite, how you assimilate food and eventually your ability to think clearly or make rational decisions. People with anorexia will look in the mirror and see a fat person even when everyone else tells them they are too thin. It takes an enormous toll on a person’s body and has the highest death rate of any mental illness.

Between 5 and 20 percent of people with this disease eventually die from it.

This is a complex disorder without a known specific cause. It may be a mixture of factors including personality traits, social factors and family history.

It usually starts early in life in the teen years and is much more common in females than males. Early treatment is of utmost importance because the longer the problem goes on untreated the harder it is to beat this devastating illness.

One of the first problems physically is an adverse effect on the bones since this usually starts as an adolescent when development of bone mass occurs.

The lack of dietary intake cannot sustain the growth demands at this age. Low body weight, thinning hair, dry skin, constipation and loss of menstrual cycle are a few adverse symptoms.

The most major consequence of this disease is the loss of muscle mass due to lack of sufficient protein intake. Unfortunately the body doesn’t differentiate where it derives the muscle mass it uses to survive and will use heart muscle as well. This results in the heart getting weaker and smaller. The heart then becomes less effective in the circulation of blood in response to activity and the pulse and blood pressure get lower. It can eventually end in heart damage severe enough to cause death.

Anorexia affects the body and mind. People with this disorder become so engrossed with weight loss that their thoughts are geared primarily about food, dieting and weight most of their time.

A combination of certain personality traits such as low self-esteem in conjunction with a need for perfectionism can be a part of this problem.

People with anorexia are more likely to have a family history of eating disorders or mood disorders such as anxiety or depression. Some teens may use this extreme measure to cope with different stressors in the teen years. Stressful life events, such as moving to a new town, divorce of parents or the death of a loved one might trigger this disorder.

People with anorexia need help from medical health professionals, mental health professionals and a dietician.

A hospital stay may be necessary at times for those who have developed serious medical conditions.

The goal of treatment is to restore a healthy weight and healthy eating habits.

Tommy Eddy is a mental health professional at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center.